January 27 2014

Even The Super Bowl Has A Backup Plan

By Daniel Metz

As you finish your grocery shopping needs for the big game on Sunday, officials in New York and New Jersey are making sure that the game goes smoothly no matter what Mother Nature has in store. Fans have grown accustomed to seeing the game in warm locations like New Orleans and Miami or indoor stadiums in Dallas and Indianapolis, but 2014 will be a much colder environment for fans and players alike at uncovered MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The forecast for Sunday’s game looks promising with a high in the upper 30s and a slim chance of snow, but every meeting planner is curious to know about the what-if scenario. Early February in New York? What if the massive snowstorm that dumped nearly a foot of snow in the Northeast just ten days earlier arrived as hundreds of thousands of fans converged near New York City?

Like any good planning team, the minds behind the Super Bowl have been many steps ahead of the weather since the site was selected. According to a report from The New York Times, the league and local officials have a machine that can melt up to 600 tons of snow per hour. In addition to the ferocious winter weather stopper, Joseph W. Mrozek, the deputy commissioner of the New Jersey Transportation Department, says that 821 trucks will be ready for snow duty within 30 miles of the stadium with the ability to call in 2,400 additional trucks from around the state. New York is providing more than 2,000 garbage trucks that can double as plows, too.

What if the game somehow finds itself in a Polar Vortex with freezing temperatures and gusty winds? The NFL wants to make sure everyone who pays hefty ticket prices for actual seats can enjoy the game with a Warm Welcome Kit. Ticket holders will be greeted with complimentary kits on their seat cushions that include hand warmers, Super Bowl ear muffs, hand mufflers, lip balm and tissues.

The NFL is also prepared to do something that’s never been done before this year: move the game to Saturday or Monday. Thankfully, weather.com makes it seem like that drastic measure will be avoided.